The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences sent out a release announcing the news from producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.

"As a longtime friend, we had always hoped to find a project for us to do together and nothing could be more exciting than teaming up to do the Oscars," they said in a statement.

Ellen hosted the show in 2007 and got good reviews. USA TODAY TV critic Robert Bianco wrote: "A general aura of good feeling pervaded the evening, and much of it stemmed from the night's unfailingly sunny host, Ellen DeGeneres."